Old Cumbria Gazetteer - schools, Cumbria: GentsMag 1828


included in:-	schools, Cumbria
	schools, Cumbria: GentsMag 1828
evidence:-	old text:- Gents Mag
source data:-	Magazine, The Gentleman's Magazine or Monthly Intelligencer or Historical Chronicle, published by Edward Cave under the pseudonym Sylvanus Urban, and by other publishers, London, monthly from 1731 to 1922. goto source Gentleman's Magazine 1828 part 1 p.599 "... ..." "June 25." "Mr. URBAN," "THE establishment of Charity Schools on Dr. Bell's plan, is one of the institutions which characterizes the English nation as "the ex-"
source data:-	goto source Gentleman's Magazine 1828 part 1 p.600 "[ex]cellents of the earth." The National Society for promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Church of England, which principles undoubtedly ought to be cherished and advanced, not only in every city and town, but also in every village through the kingdom, has examined and found the fountain pure; but the streams flowing therefrom, meeting with heterogeneous bodies on the way, have been, and are still sadly tainted. The work is begun, noble is the undertaking, to chrystalize the spring, so that no foreign matter can sully the transparency of its rills. To shew the necessity of further zeal and vigorous activity in such a cause, and that something on a wider scale can be done to forward the education of the poor in every corner of the island, a member of the Church of England offers the following considerations, which may be evident to every thinking man." "1. Though in several towns and some villages there are Charity Schools, yet Ignorance (the mother of Dissent) prevails among the lower classes, even in such places, for want of visitors, to see that the children of the poor attend properly, and are educated in the principles of the Established Church." "2. Such Charity Schools, being suppported by donation or bequest of an ancient date, no one knows by whom given or bequeathed, are generally reckoned and looked upon as things of no great consequence, like sinecures; so that any sort of master, if he can read and write, whether he be a man of learning, principles, or conscience, no matter, having friends to sign a testimonial, is appointed, and he finds himself firm and unmoveable, therefore acts as he pleases." "3. The want of a mode of education (say Dr. Bell's) conformable to the liturgy of the Church of England, is a prevailing evil in most, if not all, of these Charity Schools. The pupils are generally taught reading and writing, and sometimes arithmetic, but all in a very careless manner, without making them to understand what they read and write, and the use of arithmetical rules." "4. in most places where such Schools are, at a certain age the children are dismissed, or ordered to leave the School, perhaps not more learned than when they entered, only they can read a little, without emphasis or accent, not knowing the name and use of a point; and can write their names, but in such a slovenly way, that one cannot tell whether they have been at school a week, or two or three years." "5. Owing to such non-improvement, the parents, seeing their children spending their time in vain at such Schools, neglect to send them, and argue it is of very littele use; and say, they may as well help them in their respective callings, or exercise themselves as they please, playing about the streests, &c." "6. The masters of such Charity Schools neglect to take their pupils in order to church on Sundays and holidays, according to canon 79; and to see they behave well there during service, by attending on them in person, to shew them how to follow the clergyman in every part of the common prayer, &c." "7. Where deficiencies of this sort take place, very ready are those who dissent from the church to avail themselves of the opportunity of shewing more diligence in weaning the minds of youth from the doctrine of the Establishd Church, by enticing them to attend the preaching of laymen in their meeting-houses, and the private instructions they pretend to give them in the time of church service, when not only are the children deprived of the use of the liturgy, but also the pretended teachers in these conventicles are by such employment pleading for an excuse, that they are more religiously exercised than if they attended the service of the Established Church. This I can prove from facts, and it grieves me that I have been, and am now an eye-witness of such proceedings; for I anticipate the consequence, unless vigorous means of prevention are found and used. I need not myself say what, as a worthy magistrate in his letter, published some time ago in the Oxford Journal, has told us, that a "very leading member of a dissenting congregation in his neighbourhood put his hand on his heart, and solemnly said what the dissenters intend, the overthrow of the Church of England."" "In order to forward the national design, in so laudable an undertaking as the education of the poor in the principles of the Established Church, I beg"
source data:-	goto source Gentleman's Magazine 1828 part 1 p.601 "leave to suggest a few hints, which appear to me, and those whom I have consulted, indispensably necessary to effect the desired end." "1. When there are Charity Schools, whether in towns or country villages, they should be modelled after Dr. Bell's plan, and let there be visitors appointed to see that the children attend properly, and be educated in the doctrines and principles of the Church of England (Dissenters' Schools excepted), and to superintend the master, and give an account annually to the Bishop of the diocese, or the Archdeacon, at the yearly visitation, how the schools are conducted, and what improvement the children have made in the course of the year. The Visitor may be the Rectors, Vicars, or officiating Ministers, with the Churchwardens, or whom the Diocesan may think proper." "2. Let no master be appointed to any Charity School without proper examination by the Bishop, or his Official; nor without subscribing to the declaration, taking the oaths, and other qualifications, 13 and 14 Geo. II. c.4; and let every master be under the advice and control of the visitors." "3. Let the writings, whether will or deed, pertaining to the Schools, be lodged and kept in the church coffers, or in the care of the visitors, that they may refer to them on any emergency; and let the visitors annually inform the Bishop, or his Official, at the visitation, on oath, that the said writings (wills or deeds) are safe delivered to any new visitors the Bishop may appoint, or are in the church coffer. The visitors, if not ministers, may be changed at every visitation." "4. The mode of education being according to Dr. Bell's plan, or strictly conformable to the liturgy of the established church, let the children be taught how to find out the psalms and lessons, with the collects for the day; and let them, when able, read in classes, and go through the psalms and lessons for the day, morning and evening, before and after the exercise of the School. If the officiating minister, or one of the visitors, can attend on these occasions, so much the better, but by all means they must know that the children do so." "5. Let the visitors have power to admit to and dismiss from all Charity Schools, the children at proper age, without favour or partiality, and give proper account thereof yearly to the Bishop, or his Official; and to see that the master brings his pupils to church every time divine service is performed, morning and evening; and cause those who are able to read out with the clerk all the responses, &c. without any excuse but real illness. It is to be supposed that those who, through poverty, cannot provide themselves with Prayer-books and Bibles, may obtain them from the National Society at a low rate, or gratis, through some charitable hand." "6. Let the visitors consider it an incumbent duty to advise poor parents never to neglect sending their children to School; telling them, that all care shall be taken to educate them in an effectual, but lenient manner; and that learning is the best fortune they can possess." "7. Where there are no Charity Schools, as many villages, and some towns in the country are without them, if no means can be devised to establish a Day School, a Sunday one alone will prove very beneficial; and if the National Society will give encouragement, I have no doubt the inhabitants of most parishes, if not of all, will readily come forward, and willingly subscribe for the same purpose towards the education of their resepctive poor. I have established Sunday Schools in several parishes, and have met with no one who refused to subscribe more or less toward the institution. Nothing short of spirited activity will ensure success." "If the Bishops would give injunctions to the officiating Clergy of their respective diocese for inquiring into these matters, they would soon learn the casue of the falling away from the doctrine of the church; and I am ready to say that, if the above plan, or something similar to it, do not shortly take place, by the highest authority, through the empire, the time will come (it may not be far off) when the established chuch will be desolate, as "a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city," if not utterly overthrown, and lost in the fanaticism which daily increases. See the meeting-houses which are erected in almost every village, or old houses and barns converted into conventicles." "Yours, &c." "BEHOLDER."

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